HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court Mirpurkhas circuit has directed the Sindh health secretary and Joint Inspection Team members to appear in person in court on Oct 7 regarding a previous order in connection with improvement in services at the Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas.
The bench comprised Justice Zulfikar Ali Sangi and Justice Amjad Ali Bohio.
The court had held a hearing of the case on Sept 16 and issued the order on Wednesday.
The division bench hears cases once in a week in Mirpurkhas. The court passed order on a public interest petition.
While going through an additional registrar’s report in response to its Aug 19 order, the bench noted that the additional registrar had submitted compliance report of Medical Superintendent/Civil Surgeon Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas; Joint Inspection Report of District Health Officer (DHO) Mirpurkhas, MS Civil Hospital, additional commissioners-I & II and DC and Commissioner, Mirpurkhas and statements of Secretary Health.
The court noted that before examining individual directions, it was necessary to notice nature of exercise undertaken by court through its Aug 19 order.
The bench noted that directives were not intended to be answered merely by stating Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas and its Hemodialysis Centre were functioning and said that the court had required verifiable compliance on points relating to staffing, filling of sanctioned posts, availability of requirements and a time-bound plan for up-gradation of hospital to divisional/tertiary care level.
The Aug 19 order had prescribed separate fortnightly inspection mechanism. The court said that present material has, therefore, to be examined against each of these requirements. The inspection of civil hospital and its Hemodialysis Centre was conducted on Sept 3. “Present functioning of Centre by itself does not answer question whether staffing, financial and supply arrangements required by order have been secured”, it said.
The court noted material differences in staffing figures of Centre with regard to para 7(b) of Aug 19 order.
Figures were not capable of being treated as statement of sanctioned and filled posts. It said mere fact that centre is functioning with additional manpower cannot, therefore, by itself amounts to compliance with requirement of permanent staffing, said the court’s Sept 16 order.
The court directed respondents to share fresh post-wise statement of Hemodialysis Centre to show each sanctioned post. It noted para 7(d) of the order required more than a general statement of satisfactory working and inspection report itself recorded that against demand of 500 dialyzers; only 150 were supplied, leaving a shortfall of 350.
“It shows that Cobas laboratory machine is out of order and requires repair/restoration and the Centre receives donations for human-resource, lab and machinery. These facts are not consistent with unqualified statement that every requirement contemplated by para 7(d) is met”, the bench said.
It ordered the MS to furnish present stock of dialyzers; average rate of consumption; quantity required for present patient load. It said machine shall be repaired/replaced before next date of hearing.
The court was dissatisfied with the fact that release of Rs10 million for Dialysis Centre was done in 2026-27. “Commissioner, Mirpurkhas division, DHO and MS shall place on record a duly certified year-wise statement for FY 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 up to the date of submission”, the order said.
The bench referred to medicines and consumables which it said required careful compliance but record before court does not provide complete reconciliation between two stated procurement channels.
The court directed Commissioner of Mirpurkhas division, DHO and MS to submit statements for 2025-26 and 2026-27 showing allocation under 15pc local purchase and 85pc complaint redressal committee (CRC); release and utilisation.
The court ordered respondents, including Sindh secretary of health, to share post-wise and specialty-wise statement of vacancies and specialist and technical shortages affecting existing services. The point of civil hospital’s up-gradation to divisional/tertiary care status was also not answered.
The report does not specify development programme.
Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2026
